a/n: You have no idea how motivational reviews, alerts, and favorites are, so seriously thanks! And I'm sooo sorry for the late update! Real life caught up to me in a very serious way.
I hope the extra-long chapter makes up for the late update!
Disclaimer: APH does not belong to me.
Chapter 3: Close My Eyes
Yao was true to his word, and came to see him nearly every day, only missing days to deal with senate matters with Ivan.
The pain hadn't diminished, but there was no way he was going to complain about it. Creators, he didn't need Yao or Ivan thinking he was weak. Any chance at impressing Ivan had failed on their first official meeting, which he wasn't even conscious for!
On the seventh day of treatment Alfred had begun to see colors, objects and people where still a mishmash of blurs, but now they were at least slightly colored blurs. No longer was he living in a world of gray and black. It was around this time that Alfred noticed a light red shadow in the corner of the infirmary. That hadn't been there earlier, had it? He opened his mouth, but only a strangled scream left his lips, and he left the conscious world, and drifted off into the darkened world of whispered dreams.
Alfred awoke in his room, once again he was on the bed. He gingerly sat up, his body somewhat accustomed to the pain that came from treating his eyes. "It's bright," he grumbled. He moved his body dejectedly toward his corner, taking what he assumed was the blanket with him. He couldn't stand that bed. He sat down sluggishly, wrapping the heavy material around himself. It was rough on the outside, but the inside was so soft, not even he could deny how nice it felt against his skin. He buried his head under the material, trying to hide his face from the sun's rays. It smelled heavily of mint and dirt, and Alfred found himself burrowing against the material. He inhaled deeply, this smell, Creators, he missed this smell! "Nature," he breathed out breathlessly. This material smelled as if June himself had sewn nature itself into every stitch. Alfred smiled lightheartedly at the thought, the smell lulling him back to sleep.
oOo
June: The elven god of crafts: it is he who taught the elves how to make bows, arrows, knives, and how to fashion clothing from animals and trees.
oOo
He awoke to the sound of someone knocking on his door. "What?" he yelled from the floor. The knocking abruptly stopped, and silence reigned.
Slowly, the door opened and a woman entered the room. "The healer asked m-me to tell you that he won't be able to make it today…" she mumbled, nervously shifting the tray of food in her hands. "He asked that I bring you your meals for the day."
Alfred watched the woman's blurry shape with suppressed glee. Besides Yao and Ivan, he hadn't actually spoken to anybody in this place. He smiled, and he heard the women gasp.
Alfred's smile vanished, and he lifted the blanket higher on his body, trying to hide the lyrium markings on his chin and neck. He nodded in understanding.
She didn't say another word, simply placed the tray of food on his bed and left the room as hastily as he she could.
"Of course…" he gingerly traced the lyrium marking on his chin, trying to recall a time when he wasn't considered a monster.
Yao had gone to see Alfred first thing in the morning. The other day had been a disaster to say the least. Somehow word had got out that Ivan had gotten a slave.
To say that Ivan was furious was an understatement. He had summoned all of the servant's in the palace for a meeting in the morning, threatening to dispose of anybody who even so much as looked at Alfred or even mentioned his name. They both knew that the information must have been leaked by one of the servants.
Yao sighed, yesterday had indeed been a very long day.
He nodded at the two soldiers stationed at Alfred's room and entered.
A smile spread across his face as he spotted Alfred wrapped tightly with Ivan's cloak. He laughed and approached him. "Alfred, wake up," he gently called.
Alfred opened his eyes slowly, and glared at Yao.
"Come on, it's not that early."
"Is the sun even out?"
Yao smiled at Alfred's whining. Leave it up to him to complain about the least important things.
"Do you think I'll be healed soon?" Alfred asked hopefully.
Yao smiled at his enthusiasm. "Let's not rush things, I want to make sure I heal you as best as I can." Alfred nodded, and turned his head toward the corner of the infirmary.
There was no red shadow there. "Hey, did someone come in the last time?"
"What do you mean?" Yao asked confused.
"Over there," he pointed toward the corner, "last time I remember seeing something red there."
Yao looked toward the corner confused. Something red? "Oh," he laughed. "I suppose you wouldn't know, after all, he generally only comes near the end."
"So someone does come."
Yao nodded. "Yes, Ivan comes. He's comes here all the time, in fact he's the one who carries you to your bed all the time."
"W-what?" he spluttered, the blush from his cheeks spreading to the tips of his ears. "He's here all the time? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Who do you think carried you back to your room all this time?" Yao questioned.
Alfred groaned in annoyance.
"What's the big deal? He carried you back to your bed that first night too."
Alfred snapped his head up, his face a mixture of emotions ranging from self-pity to anger. "No need to remind me!"
Nearly a month had passed, and in all that time Alfred had barely exchanged a greeting with Ivan. Not that he minded. He preferred Yao's company, he even looked forward to their casual talks. Imagine that, him enjoying a mage's company.
It still bothered him to know that it was Ivan who took him to his bed nearly every night. Wasn't this guy the ruler of the Tevinter Imperium? Couldn't he order someone else to take Alfred back to his room?
Alfred yawned, it was late, but Yao had told him that they would continue his treatment later in the night, apparently he and Ivan had something to do. Which was why Alfred was still awake at this ungodly hour.
More of his eyesight had returned, and if he squinted hard enough he could make out certain details on objects and people. This was how he realized that his blanket was actually a cloak.
He had asked Yao if he knew who's cloak it was because there was no way that it was for himself, it was far too big. Yao had said that he'd had no idea whose it was, but Alfred suspected otherwise. After all, there was a knowing look in Yao's eyes.
Alfred stood from his place in the corner, the cloak wrapped around his body like a second skin, and approached the window. He rested his head on the glass panel, looking out at the blurry world. His breath came out in puffs, and soon the window was fogged up, obscuring the outside world.
He smiled and wiped his hand on the cold glass. Lifting his head he squinted at the night sky, and the large blurry luminescent ball in the sky, cleared enough for him to make out the darkened spots on the moon.
Alfred's eyes sparkled as he watched the moon. The first time he could honestly recall seeing the moon was when he still lived with Sadik. He hadn't been allowed to do much in Sadik's care, in fact, the only time he was allowed out of Sadik's manor was if Sadik ordered him to go deal with political opponents.
His hands clenched the inside of the cloak tightly. He had been terrified when Sadik had first sent him out, and as he had waited in the tree tops for his chance to strike, he was positive that he would fail. That's when he saw it: the moon. It was so large, and closer than he had ever seen it. Suddenly all the anxiety he had been feeling about what he was going to do vanished. The moon… Mythal had created the moon, surely it was a sign to him that she would protect him.
Alfred was so caught up in his memories that he hadn't even heard the door to his room open. Yao and Ivan entered the room, both stopping at the sight of Alfred. He stood before them, bathed in the moons pale rays, his sky-blue eyes sparkling as they gazed at the sky.
Ivan found himself enraptured by the sight. Alfred seemed to be glowing, and if Ivan didn't know better he'd swear that Alfred was some benevolent being from the Fade.
"Beautiful," the words left Ivan's mouth quietly, but they were loud enough to break the illusion of benevolence that Alfred had somehow created.
Alfred turned, a startled smile on his face. "Your late," he stated, crossing his arms underneath the cloak.
Yao nodded, noticing how Ivan's attention had moved from Alfred to the cloak. "Are you sure? Maybe we were here earlier, and you didn't notice," he teased.
Alfred scoffed at the remark. His gaze moving from Yao to the red-clad individual he had come to identify as Ivan. "Why is he here?"
Yao stiffened at the comment, but Ivan laughed, the noise sounding innocent.
"Why indeed," Ivan replied, his accented voice intriguing Alfred all over again. He eyed the cloak, admiring the contrast between the charcoal-black material and Alfred's skin. "I've come to introduce myself," he stated. His eyes locked on to Alfred's shockingly blue eyes. "We're long overdue for introductions, aren't we?" Alfred nodded, and Ivan felt his smile grow. "Well then, I'm Ivan Braginski, the Archon of the Tevinter Imperium," he looked at Alfred with an unreadable expression, "and your master, apparently."
The instant that word was uttered, Alfred's demeanor changed. His eyes narrowed, and he looked haughtily at Ivan. "Is that right?"
Ivan smiled, and Yao could feel the tension in the room grow. He opened his mouth, but Ivan spoke first.
"Yes, it is," he smiled, and approached Alfred. "But you see, I don't really have a need for a slave." He stood before Alfred, a few inches separating their bodies from one another. "But it's not like I can set you free, not with you having these," his gloved finger ran down the exposed lyrium on Alfred's neck, "can't have you cause an uproar amongst the Magisters, can I?"
Alfred froze, images of Sadik running through his mind. He suddenly felt nervous and exposed, he quickly glanced at the blurry light of the moon, hoping to feel some kind of protection from it.
He bit his bottom lip, and steeled himself for what he was going to do. He forcefully removed Ivan's fingers from his neck. "Didn't you mother teach you that it's bad manners to touch someone without their permission?" He locked eyes with Ivan's, and was surprised to see that they were a deep violet. Where in the name of the Creators was this man from? Violet eyes where definitely not a common sight in the Tevinter Imperium, hell, not even blue eyes were common.
Ivan's eyes narrowed slightly, and he grinned, the sight unnerving Yao, but Alfred hardly seemed affected. "No, she didn't," he moved quickly and grabbed Alfred's wrist, pulling him closer to himself. "But seeing as you're my slave, it shouldn't matter if I touch you."
"I thought you were against slavery?" Alfred accused, his voice filled with barely restrained anger. This bastard! He openly glared at Ivan, trying to pull his wrist from his grasp.
"Oh, I am," he responded cheerily. He held on to Alfred's gaze, infatuated with his recently healed sapphire eyes. "You see, I don't really need you. If I need something done I get a servant to go do it." He increased his hold on Alfred's wrist, surprised that the elf was somewhat succeeding at freeing it. This elf was truly exceptional. "You may be my slave," he continued, "but I won't have you doing what other slaves do."
Ivan released his hold on Alfred's wrist, his sadistic side pleased that he had left angry red marks on the elf's skin. "Seeing as you used to be a bodyguard, I don't see why you can't continue doing the same here."
"Bodyguard?" Alfred questioned.
"Yes, bodyguard," Yao replied quickly, hoping to diffuse the situation. "Sadik told us that you were his guard, I can't see why you can't do the same for Ivan."
Alfred swallowed heavily, not comfortable with the idea of being a personal guard again. The punishment for messing up had been severe. He unconsciously rubbed his hip, the wound was nothing more than a scar, but the memories of how he had received it were still fresh. He looked from Yao's fuzzy face to Ivan's. How could he change their minds?
"Why do you need a bodyguard? I thought you were supposed to be this strong guy," Alfred questioned, squinting his eyes to get a good look at Ivan.
Ivan smiled, his violet eyes darkening as they eyed Alfred. "Oh?" he went for Alfred's wrist again, but Alfred stepped back, his blue eyes blazing angrily at him. "You think you have a choice?" he giggled. Alfred felt the hairs at the back of his neck stand up at the noise. He hesitantly met Ivan's gaze, feeling a slight panic enter his body as he noted the wild look in them.
He bit his lip, a nervous habit he had acquired under Sadik's ownership. "I can't see," he spoke mindlessly. "You can't expect to have a blind person protect you." No sooner had the words left his mouth that he wanted to smack himself. No way had he made himself look impressive. Damn…
"That won't be a problem." He turned away from Alfred, a dangerous smile on his lips. His violet eyes met Yao and he nodded.
Yao smiled, an uneasiness overcoming him. When was the last time that Ivan had smiled like that? Not since the last meeting with all the Magisters from the Tevinter Imperium, an event that only happened once a year, yet here it was. "Yes, about your eyes," he sat down on Alfred's bed, waiting for Alfred to follow his actions, but he didn't, merely watched Yao curiously. He sighed and continued, "You know how you haven't blacked out from the pain these last few sessions?" Alfred nodded, concern slowly seeping into his eyes. "There's a reason for that." He stared at Alfred, waiting until he held the blonde's gaze. He smiled gently, hoping that it would soften the blow of his next words, "I've reached my limit of how much I can heal them."
"What?"
"I've done all I can."
Alfred looked at him shocked. He was joking, he had to be joking. There was no way, shouldn't the fact that he wasn't feeling pain a good thing? And—and what about what Ivan had said? He wanted him to be his guard, right?
"But—but he wants me to be his guard!" he shouted, pointing wildly to Ivan. "Come on, this is a joke, right, Yao?" he looked at him pleadingly, his cerulean eyes shining with delusional hope.
Laughter filled the room, and both Alfred and Yao turned to Ivan. His amethyst eyes shined darkly as he watched Alfred channel his frustrated emotions at him.
"And what's so—" he smacked Yao's hand away as he continued his tirade, "damn funny?"
"You."
Alfred's face flushed at the comment. "Me?" he whispered darkly.
Ivan nodded. "Surely you remember that Yao said he wouldn't be able to fix everything." The tips of his lips curled up as he watched anger wash over the elf. "Or is your elven brain incapable of comprehending that?" he goaded.
Before Yao could intervene Alfred flew toward Ivan, his body glowing as the lyrium markings activated. He ran towards Ivan prepared to throw a right punch at that pompous face.
Ivan smiled childlike, the wild look returning to his eyes. He had read Sadik's notes, knew to be wary of the elf's glowing body. It seemed that the elf's specialty was being able to phase through bodies, than solidify his own body, killing in a very violent and painful manner. He smirked, was his little elf planning on doing that?
He waited until Alfred was near, and just as Alfred's fist was about to make contact he side stepped from the blow, swinging his right fist at the elf's chest. The blow knocked the breath out of Alfred and he flew toward the wall. Ivan stood from his spot watching Alfred's crumpled form on the floor.
Yao watched on silently. He knew better than to get involved, but that didn't mean that he wouldn't intervene if Alfred was seriously in need of help. He would never admit it to Ivan, but over the course of healing Alfred's eyes the young elf had grown on him, Maker, he'd even go so far as to say that he saw Alfred as his little brother. Yao caught Ivan's gaze, and he looked sternly at his friend.
"Y-you're an ass," came Alfred's raspy voice. He slowly stood, holding his chest tightly. He glared at Ivan. He couldn't get close again, not unless he wanted another punch in the chest. But what else could he do? He needed to distract Ivan with some—his eyes widened. No. He wouldn't use that. He refused to rely on magic. He'd hit that bastard with his own skill. He would have to make close combat work for him. "Heh," he laughed. "You're good, I'll give you that." He smiled, determination in his voice, "But don't think I'm gonna let you get away with that."
"Is that so? Large talk for a blind elf."
Alfred smiled, the moon was shining brightly, engulfing the room in its pale light. Mythal was protecting him. "Get ready!"
He approached Ivan, his grin growing with each step he took. One hit, just one hit…
"I'll show you what a blind elf can do!"
He charged at Ivan, crouching low for more momentum.
Ivan watched him with amused eyes. He stood firmly in his spot, adrenaline coursing through his veins. How long had it been since someone had openly challenged him? Should he pity the elf, or congratulate him?
No sooner had he thought that when Alfred rammed his knees. He stumbled to the floor surprised, as Alfred stood on his knees, a dark glint in his eyes as he loomed over Ivan. His right arm swung back, muscles flexing as his arm sprang fourth, striking Ivan in the gut.
Ivan's eyes widened in surprise. He'd been hit? His elf had hit him. He growled, and forcefully grabbed Alfred's shoulder, the grip straining Alfred's muscles from throwing another punch. He used his grip to angrily push Alfred to the floor, lifting himself up in the process. Alfred attempted to push him off, but Ivan grabbed his wrists, pinning his arms to the floor. He straddled Alfred's stomach as he leaned down, lowering his head to Alfred's pointed ear.
"What the fuck do 'ya think you're doi—"
"Shut up," he whispered darkly, hot air tickling the sensitive skin of Alfred's ear.
He stilled, fear creeping through his body.
Ivan pulled away, looking down at Alfred from his position on his stomach. "You're going to be my guard," he stated, releasing his grip on Alfred's left wrist.
"No, I'm—"
"Yes, you will," he replied eerily calm. He pulled on Alfred's right wrist, bringing his body up awkwardly. "You don't have a choice, as the Archon and your master, I command it."
Alfred stared incredulously at Ivan, he couldn't be serious, could he? Ivan giggled, he hadn't realized just how expressive this slave was. "You proved your worth." He released his hold on the wrist, and Alfred's upper body fell to the floor abruptly.
Yao sighed, Maker… "Satisfied?" Ivan nodded, not moving from his spot on Alfred's stomach.
"What do you mean?"
Yao looked down at Alfred, and smiled apologetically at him. "He wanted to see if you were worthy of being his personal guard." He crossed his arms annoyed. "He was certain that you would refuse and get in a fight."
"It was all a plan?" Alfred asked confused. "Even the part about my eyes?"
"No, that was true, but," he stood and approached them on their spot on the floor, "while it's true that I've done all I can, that doesn't mean you won't be able to see just as well as us. I would have told you earlier, but Ivan told me to wait."
"So there's hope?"
"Yes, they're a fairly new invention in the Tevinter Imperium, mostly scholars use them, but I'm sure they'll be of great use to you as well. They're called glasses." Alfred looked at him confused. "You wear them on your face," he clarified.
Alfred sighed in relief, his body relaxing under Ivan. He had no idea what the hell glasses were, but if he could see again then he didn't care what he had to put on his face.
He smiled, and his eyes sparkled with glee. All anger and doubt from earlier vanishing. Sure, why not? He'd be Ivan's bodyguard if it meant that he could see clearly again.
Ivan was no longer paying attention to the conversation between the elf and Yao. He saw Alfred's chapped pink lips moving, but he ignored the words, no, his attention was drawn to the elf's clear-blue eyes. They had changed drastically since Alfred had become his… property. They had been a milky light blue, but the more Yao healed them, the more vibrant those blue eyes turned, until two sapphire eyes revealed themselves. Those eyes had enraptured him, blue eyes were extremely uncommon in the Imperium, they were a far more common sight in Fereldan, where he suspected the elf was originally from.
And those eyes, they changed with his emotions, light and clear when he was happy, just like now, and dark and full of ill-intent when angered. He wanted to see the full spectrum of emotions in those eyes, how did they look in pain he wondered.
Alfred reminded him of nature, wheat fields and clear blue skies, surely he was the epitome of the Dalish spirit. Everything about the youth screamed untamed nature.
He giggled, drawing Alfred's attention. Thing's had certainly gotten interesting since the elf's arrival. Alfred looked at him, his eyes darkening as he met Ivan's violet gaze.
"Dude, get the hell off of me!" he yelled annoyed.
"So," he looked expectantly at Yao, "am I supposed to follow that ass around all day?"
"Only when he's leaving the palace, he's perfectly capable of protecting himself here," Yao responded. He looked at Alfred with a concerned frown. "Aren't you worried?"
"No, I did a decent enough job as a guard before."
"That's not what I was referring to, I meant are you sure you should be using that attitude on Ivan. He's not someone to take lightly." He looked away from Alfred, his head downcast. "You're really lucky you weren't seriously hurt," he muttered.
Alfred didn't respond, what could he say? Yes, he was worried. But there was no way he would ever admit that. "I won't change who I am."
Yao nodded, and stood. "Come on, let's go, Ivan should be finishing up talking with his last appointment."
They had been standing in front of the double doors for nearly an hour, and Alfred found himself fidgeting under the gazes of the servants, he couldn't see their eyes clearly, but he could damn well feel their gazes on him. He'd kept away from the servants after his last run in with the girl who had brought him his meals.
"Hey, am I scary looking?" he asked suddenly.
Yao blinked slowly, taking in the random question. "Scary?" he looked at Alfred thoughtfully. "No, you're not. Why the sudden question?"
Alfred leaned back, putting his weight on the wall. "You don't think these marks look, I don't know, intimidating?"
"Intimidating?" he repeated dumbly. He looked at Alfred and smiled. "They add a certain… ferocity, but once you open that mouth of yours, all sense of fear vanishes."
"You're an ass, hope 'ya know that." He smiled despite his words. "Anyway, I thought you said that he'd be finished by now."
"He should have been." He crossed his arms, his emerald cloak covering his hands. No sooner had he said that when the doors swung open and an irate Magister emerged. He eyed Yao warily, but as his eyes landed on Alfred, they took in his appearance greedily, so much so, that Alfred couldn't help the shiver that passed through his body.
Yao narrowed his eyes at the Magister, not happy with the way his eyes had lingered on Alfred as he walked away. He grabbed Alfred's arm, pulling him into the throne room. "Let's go, it's getting late."
Ivan was walking towards the door when they entered the room. "Ah, my apologies, I didn't think this matter would take so long to sort out." His eyes passed over Yao and landed on Alfred. "We should get going before the shops close, ready?"
"Of course you ass, we were waiting for you."
The trip to the shopping district had been uneventful, much to Yao's relief. He had been watching Ivan, who seemed to be goading the elf the whole trip. It was weird. Seeing Ivan actually let someone treat him in the manner that Alfred was. What would Ivan do when Alfred finally crossed the line on what he would tolerate?
Yao clenched his fist, suddenly feeling ill. What would he do? He was Ivan's childhood friend, but Alfred was just like— he glanced at the wheat-blonde elf, who was squinting his eyes at the passing buildings, trying to make the world clear. He was curious of the outside world just like him, just like Kiku. He had let him go to stay by Ivan, would he be willing to do the same again?
"Hey, Yao," came the voice of his doubts, "are glasses, like, a hat, or what?"
Ivan smirked lightly, and Alfred scowled at him. "No," he laughed lightly, "they're these little frames made from silverite, that bluish-white metal," Alfred looked at him blankly, and he couldn't help but laugh. "I'm not very good at explaining them, am I? You'll understand when you see them, just know that they're not a hat."
They rode in silence once more, until they reached the shopping district of Minrathous. Ivan was the first to emerge from the coach, then Yao, and finally Alfred. The building was small and unimpressive. Ivan opened the door, and they followed.
The room was bright, and Alfred squinted his eyes, caught off guard by the brightness of the room.
"Ah, Archon Ivan, a pleasure having you!" came a boisterous voice from Alfred's right. "We're ready to see your guard, Alfred was it?" she looked expectantly at the blonde, and Alfred froze, not really sure what the hell was going on.
"Is it possible for me to accompany him?" Yao asked, already grabbing Alfred's arm, prepared to accompany him whether or not the woman let him.
"Yes, you can oversee his examination if you'd like."
Alfred sat down on the only chair in the room, anxiety pumping through his veins. The room was pulsing with magic, and the lyrium markings were burning as a result of it. He bit his lip, looking at the nameless woman.
"Alfred," the woman spoke gently, "my name is Morgan, and I'm in charge of this little shop. The Archon messaged me earlier about your eyes. Not many people know how we make these spectacles, so let me explain it to you, okay?" Alfred nodded, his gaze flicking to Yao for a second. "We channel are magic into your eyes, and get a general feel for how bad your vision is, once we know that I send the information to the tranquil from the Chantry of Orlais, who will enchant a piece of glass that we will put into these metal frames," she pulled out the metal frame and handed them to Alfred to inspect.
oOo
Orlais: Founded by Emperor Kordillus Drakon, the Orlesian Empire or simply Orlais is one of the most powerful nations in Thedas. Val Royeaux is the capital of Orlais, as well as the Chantry's seat of power.
Chantry: The major religious group in Thedas. It's based on the Chant of Light, a series of teachings written by Andraste, the prophet of the Maker, and was founded by Kordillus Drakon, the first emperor of Orlais. Its followers are known as Andrastians.
Tranquil: Mages who are too weak of will to resist demonic possession or appear to be dangerous are forced to go through the Rite of Tranquility, which cuts off a mage's connection to the Fade: they can no longer dream. As a side effect, their emotional center is utterly removed.
oOo
He lifted the metallic object holding it close to his face so he wouldn't have to squint. How exactly was he supposed to wear this?
"Would you like to try them on?" Morgan asked. Alfred nodded, handing the frames back to her. She leaned closer to him, opening the frames and placed them on his face, the bridge of the frames resting on his nose, and the temples resting on either side of his head, the ends tucking behind his elven ear. "These frames were specially created for eleven ears," she stated.
They felt odd, not uncomfortable, but certainly weird. He looked out the clear, lenses, but the world remained the same. He smiled, he would see soon, with the help of these glasses, with the help of magic, he thought bitterly, but he pushed that train of thought away.
"You look good," Yao voiced proudly, "like a scholar."
"I'd rather look like a warrior," he complained.
Yao grinned, and Morgan laughed. "Ready to get started?" she asked.
"Heh, you bet!" he said ecstatically, ignoring his lyrium markings throbbing. Creators, he wanted to get this over with so they could leave, his body was burning with all the magic in the room.
The process had been surprisingly painless. Odd, yes. But Alfred was beginning to believe that all things related to magic were odd in general. At least magic that didn't come from Sadik was odd and painless…
They emerged from the room, spotting Ivan sitting nonchalantly on one of the chairs. "Good?" he asked as he spotted them.
"Yes, everything went well, I should get the lens back from the tranquils in about two weeks' time, and fitting them to the frame shouldn't take more than a few minutes, so I'll most likely contact you in two weeks."
"I'll send the payment then."
"Payment? You're gonna pay for them?" Alfred asked surprised.
"Of course," he walked towards Alfred, leaning into his personal space, his gaze resting on Alfred's lips. "After all, you belong to me, right? It's only natural that I take care of what's mine."
Alfred narrowed his eyes, but didn't respond.
Ivan smiled and nodded to Morgan, grabbing Alfred's wrist and walking out of the store.
"Where are we going now?" he asked testily to Ivan.
"Armor shop," Yao responded, his face in a book he had picked up from the previous shop.
"You can barely protect yourself in those clothes, what makes you think that you'll be able to protect me?"
"I think your underestimating my skills," Alfred stated confidently.
Ivan leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Is that so? If you're so skilled, why weren't you capable of avoiding your previous owner's wrath?"
Alfred opened his mouth, but his argument died before it even reached the tip of his tongue. He looked away, shame clouding his eyes. He couldn't mention that jade stone Sadik had, if he did, Ivan would probably ask that bastard for it. He couldn't risk that, couldn't risk anyone finding out how weak he was against that fucking stone.
Shame. Those cerulean eyes had darkened considerably at Ivan's words, and he gazed at them happily. But it was short lived joy, as Alfred closed his eyes dejectedly and turned away from him, more content to glare at the passing world then at Ivan.
The armory was much more impressive, even Alfred, with his fuzzy vision, was impressed by the sight of the building. "What are those things?" Alfred asked, pointing to two large dragons standing on either side of the door to the armory.
"The Old God, Dumat,"Ivan said distastefully.
"Old God?"
"The Old Gods, they were dragons who were said to teach our empire how to use magic." Yao stated, eyeing the statues critically.
"Yes, they're said to be responsible for the creation of blood magic," Ivan spat out angrily. "Enough, we didn't come here to speak of foolish men."
Just like in the glasses shop, the workers here weren't surprised to see Ivan. Had he warned everybody that he would be visiting so that they wouldn't be surprised?
"Archon, a pleasure to have your business. Is this the lad you mentioned in your letter?" a middle aged man asked, motioning toward Alfred. Alfred rolled his eyes, mystery solved. Ivan nodded, and the man motioned for Alfred to follow him. "Just stand up here, lad. Maker, quite tall for an elf, eh?"
"I'll say," Yao muttered. Ivan had made fun of the fact that he was shorter then Alfred. It wasn't his fault that nearly everything about Alfred defied the norm.
Alfred smiled at Yao's remark. He knew that brunette's height was a touchy subject.
The old man laughed, and pulled out some string. He saw Alfred's confused look and nodded in understanding. "Taking your height, so the armor fits properly," he explained.
He measured Alfred's height, his chest, hips, arms, and legs. All in all the process went a lot faster than getting his eyes examined.
Alfred walked off the elevated stand and approached Ivan and Yao.
"You don't need us around do you?" Yao asked.
"No, take the elf around the district, this will take a while." Yao nodded, and motioned for Alfred to follow him.
Alfred followed, turning back only to catch Ivan's violet gaze on him. The tips of Ivan's lips quirked up as he held Alfred's attention, captivated by those damn blue eyes. But his slight smile vanished as he turned his attention back to the shop's owner.
"What's he doing?" Alfred asked as they exited the shop.
"He's getting you a custom armor, we may have to wander around for a bit, Ivan's really picky about what he wants."
"I don't like this… why is he doing this?"
"Don't like what?"
"What he's doing. He's been nothing but an ass since we've begun talking, why is he suddenly concerned about me?"
"It's not a sudden thing. Remember, he's the one who gave me the okay to try and fix your eyes." He gently placed his hand on Alfred's shoulder and squeezed. "If it's about the money he's spending you shouldn't worry, it's not like he's low on funds."
It wasn't the money that concerned him, no, it was the emphasis that Ivan was placing on the fact that he owned him. "Whatever, let's go."
They had wandered about the city for quite some time, no real destination in mind, not that Alfred minded.
He was out.
Allowed to walk wherever he wanted, to hear the wind's lullaby as it rushed passed him. He smiled, turning to Yao with a grin. "Come on! I'll race 'ya!" he shouted, taking off before Yao even had a chance to react.
He ran, his muscles tightening and releasing with each stride. It was exhilarating, running through the throngs of peoples and shops, and Creators, when was the last time he'd done this? He laughed, the noise reaching Yao who struggled to keep up. He couldn't help but laugh as well, Alfred's joy seeming contagious.
Yao followed Alfred for blocks, occasionally yelling an apology for both himself and Alfred. Finally Alfred slowed down and Yao caught up with him. "W-what was that all about?" he asked through gasps.
Alfred scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, his face flushed from all the running. "Heh, got carried away." He smiled, and Yao couldn't help but return it. "It felt good though, right?" he wiped the sweat from his brow, laughing.
"Man, I haven't been out in forever… I don't know how you and Ivan can stand being coped up in that building."
"It's not that bad."
"Says the guy who can leave his room whenever he wants."
"You'll be able to leave your room soon enough."
"Will I be able to leave the palace?"
Yao hesitated, Ivan hadn't really mentioned much about the situation regarding Alfred to him, just that he could leave his room. Where would Ivan let him go? Of course, where was Ivan half the time? "You can go to the gardens, they're fairly large." He straightened up, exhausted from the chase. "Are you hungry? I know a few places with some really good food around here." Alfred nodded, a soft smile gracing his lips.
They hadn't gotten very far before Alfred stopped Yao. "What's that?" he asked curiously, sniffing the air.
"Hmn?" he turned to where Alfred was looking, spotting a small shop that specialized in sweets from all over Thedas. His eyes softened as he watched the elf, had Alfred ever ate sweets?
"It's a sweets shop, want to try some?"
"Sweets? What the hell is that?"
"It's this—you know what? Let's just get some." He walked toward the building, Alfred walking beside him.
Inside that strange smell was even stronger. Alfred looked at the counter were numerous brown things were sprawled.
Yao approached the counter, his gaze never leaving Alfred. Not that Alfred seemed to notice. He looked the brown things over, they were all different shapes, and heights. What in the name of the Creators were they?
"Alfred, ready to go?"
He spun around, caught off guard. "That was quick."
Yao nodded in agreement, leading the way out of the shop.
"Here, these are Ferelden chocolates, there were a lot of sweets to choose from, but I have a feeling that you'll like these the best."
Alfred took the bag from Yao, there were numerous—what had he called them, chocolates?—in it. He pulled one out, aware of Yao watching his every move, and placed it in his mouth. His eyes widened, and a smile graced his face. Well, Yao had certainly not been kidding when he said that he would enjoy it.
"Ah, I see I was right," he chuckled.
They sat outside the shop, which had a few tables and chairs out.
They sat in silence, Alfred enjoying his sweets and Yao watching the passersby.
"So the rumors of a man in green chasing an elf were true," came a very familiar voice.
"Is that what they're say—" he stopped himself from continuing, noticing that Ivan's eyes were focused on Alfred, he turned his gaze to the elf, who was busy licking the melted remains of chocolate from his fingers. A vibrant pink tongue peeking out every so often. He seemed oblivious to their staring.
Yao turned away, eyeing his friend warily.
Ivan tore his gaze away, an emotion Yao had never seen passing his face. Was that doubt he had seen?
"Are you ready to go?" Ivan asked, his voice slightly strained.
Yao nodded, and looked at Alfred expectantly.
"Mhmm," he said between licks.
For Alfred, the two weeks could not come fast enough. Ivan refused to let him out of his room, on the grounds that he was a liability. He wasn't quite sure what had crawled up Ivan's ass and died, but since their excursion into the city he'd been stricter then usual, even Yao was avoiding him. Any time Yao had any time to spare he would spend it with Alfred. He'd even brought him more of those chocolates!
But not even chocolates could do much for Alfred's attitude on the start of the third week.
"Bastard, thinks he can get away with anything…" he paced his room angrily, tired of sitting at his corner. The day was half finished, and Yao had only stopped by to bring Alfred his meals, but as he prepared to leave he had winked at Alfred, claiming that Ivan would come by, but he wouldn't give up any more information besides that.
Which was why Alfred was currently pacing his room angrily, though not with a bit unease.
The sun was going down when the door to Alfred's room opened, and Ivan entered. Alfred turned his head, meeting Ivan's gaze. Those blue eyes looked hesitant, and Ivan relaxed at their sight.
"Come here, elf."
Alfred narrowed his eyes but complied. If Yao was being cautious around Ivan, he should too.
"So…" Alfred began, suddenly at a loss for words.
"Close your eyes."
"What?"
Ivan stared at him, his face unreadable, which did nothing to alleviate Alfred's worry.
"You better not do anything weird," he warned, closing his eyes slowly.
Alfred felt something cold touch the skin surrounding his eyes, and had to force his eyes to stay closed, but as he felt something slip behind his ears his eyes snapped opened in surprise.
Clear, vibrant violet eyes met Alfred's. The eyes contrasted against the platinum blonde hair that framed his face. This was how Ivan looked? Alfred felt a tremor pass his body, and involuntarily took a step back. As he did so, he noted the rest of the room. Creators everything was so clear! In his excitement he grabbed Ivan's shirt, the crimson material was so intricately designed! And to think he thought it was just plain red clothing.
"Yes, it's a rather fine shirt, isn't it?"
"Huh?" Alfred replied, puzzled. He looked down at his hands and blushed, releasing the garment as if it had burned him.
"I take it they work then?" Alfred nodded his anger at having been unable to leave his room dissipating by the second. Ivan smirked, grabbing Alfred's chin as he did so, forcing those blue eyes that had haunted him the past two weeks to look at him. But his own eyes travelled down to those lips, where that damnable tongue had emerged, licking chapped pink lips that had been covered in chocolate not so long ago…
a/n: Hope you enjoyed the chapter! And once again, really sorry about the late update!